Introduce Yourself to The Community

Let us know a little about yourself and your lawn care and landscaping business. Let us know who you are, where you are from, and what equipment you started with and how far you have come along in the business.

Takes an advert out in Evening Herald “Have your garden rotavated in an evening, phone James D Lavin” (James was a famous GAA full back for the Dublin team)

Jimmy gets 15 calls first day, Jimmy buys a Howard Gem Rotavator

1957 James D Lavin Landscaping is formed

The 1960's

Years go by and Jimmy leases out hardware and goes into landscaping full-time

Business is going well and James D Lavin is now asked to do landscaping for Dublin Corporation

1967 Jimmy buys Massey Ferguson 165 and a six foot Howard Rotavator

The 1970's

Grounds Maintenance is starting to take off & Jimmy buys a Hayter walk behind mower

Jimmy also buys trail gangs for tractor

The 1980's

The Massey 165 is still around and as good as new

The evil Hayter is too

I start working with my father on Saturdays to save up for a racer, the pay is £1 a day

We get our first Kubota mower, which was fantastic

1989 I leave school and begin hard graft

The 1990's

To supplement my income, I start doing a few nixers

Soon I am quoting for commercial sites

In 1993, at the age of 22 I set up Lavin’s Ground Maintenance

I buy my first car, an 1988 Nissan Bluebird of £2.5k and insurance is £2,104.05

The 2000's
[LIST][*]I get my big break when my new 4x4 and I happen to be in Naas, Balbriggan & Dalkey in the one day[*]I get a call from a property management company who say “We see your jeeps everywhere! We would you like to quote for some sites?”[*]Sure “we” would be happy to….[*]A year later I get my next big break, I start maintenance on three industrial sites over 100 acres in size[*]I buy my first Ransomes

In 2006 we purchase and move to our new 5000 square foot premises in Kilbarrack Industrial Estate

James D Lavin Landscape and Lavin’s Ground Maintenance merge and Tanum Limited is formed

Jimmy goes into semi retirement

With double income I am able to gear-up and buy new mowers each with a specific job

Well that is that as they say, we have had our ups and downs as have many other companies too. The past few years has been very tough, but our saving grace is we own all our equipment. When we had the cash flow we bought the machines. We are constantly changing, that is what I like about this business, no two days are ever the same. That said some days are a pain, but the good outweighs the bad.
Equipment
2 x Ransomes Parkway
Kubota G2100
Shiubaura cm364 with flail & mulcher deck
Amazone profihopper 4x4i
Kubota L42 with loader
Blec stone burier
Blec rota rake
Blec Rotavator
Gandani Biomatich 85 shredder
2 x Hardy sprayers
Howard Rotavator
Ferris 2500z
2 x Ferris 52" walk behind
2 x Hayter Concorde
5 x Husqvarna mulchers
Numerous hedge cutters and chain saws
Smart fortwo, for calls and quotes and for fun to be honest
Mitsubishi canter beavertail
2 x Toyota Hilux crewcabs
Vauxhall movano, tipper
Nissan Primastar
16" triple axle Ifor Williams trailer
12" Ifor Williams tipper trailer
12" Ifor Williams trailer
and so on.
Thanks for looking
Regards Cian
PS we still have the MF165